Body Size checks for N Sea helicopters

[Ray Shields]

As of the 1st April 2015, the CAA will prohibit helicopter operators from carrying passengers on offshore flights (except in response to an emergency) whose body size, including required safety and survival equipment, is incompatible with the nearest authorised underwater escape exit.

On the 8th January Step Change in Safety Helicopter Safety Steering Group (HSSG) held Town House meetings where the plans and requirements for how people will be measured were announced.

The strategy follows Step Change’s announcement in October 2014 that helicopter passengers will be measured by the width of their shoulders, and those who measure greater than 22” (55.9cm) will be classed as Extra Broad (XBR). Extra Broad passengers will be required to sit in a helicopter seat that’s closest window is compatible with their shoulder size.

Helicopter passengers will be measured by specially-trained medics either on offshore installations or at onshore medical providers. Measurement courses will also be available from the beginning of February and can be booked through medical providers. Your size status will be recorded on Vantage

https://www.stepchangeinsafety.net/news-events/news/helicopter-passengers-be-measured-offshore-medics

[Des_b]

Ha,

I guess if you are a fatty it may be time to get into the new years resolutions! Although admittedly getting your shoulders to under 22 may be difficult without surgery if you are a large frame! 🙂

[Ray Shields]

What it means is you get to sit at the seat with the bigger exit and not squashed in the middle!

So the rest of us have to wait behind the fatties while they try and get out!

[Black Dog]

The European Court of Justice said that if obesity could hinder "full and effective participation" at work then it could count as a disability

Maybe there will have to bigger exits for the mobility scooters……………..

……………….or bigger wallets for the employment rights lawyers ? 😕

[T-Boy]

God damn it Dog…you spotted me in Home Depot 😉

Fatties get more rights than fit peeps…OMG here we go again…next it’ll be wider beds onboard, special Stannah lifts up to the bridge, and a special diet of Mac D’s and Coke in the galley. Sod the NY Resoluton, it’s better to be fat, end up with the helicopter to myself 😆

[John Bridgett]

I agree totally that overweight people should be refused a medical BUT good sized emergency exits should be mandatory too. I’m tall, 6’6", not fat but I’m not a drink on a stick either, in a Heli I’m cramped and squashed in the emergency exits I can get through but, in a real emergency it could make life a little more frantic. Bigger exits = safer operation.

[James McLauchlan]

The strategy follows Step Change’s announcement in October 2014 that helicopter passengers will be measured by the width of their shoulders, and those who measure greater than 22” (55.9cm) will be classed as Extra Broad (XBR). Extra Broad passengers will be required to sit in a helicopter seat that’s closest window is compatible with their shoulder size.

Helicopter passengers will be measured by specially-trained medics either on offshore installations or at onshore medical providers. Measurement courses will also be available from the beginning of February and can be booked through medical providers. Your size status will be recorded on Vantage

https://www.stepchangeinsafety.net/news-events/news/helicopter-passengers-be-measured-offshore-medics

Specially trained medics? Are they suggesting that current training for medics doesn’t seem them capable of taking a shoulder measurement? Measurement courses? I’d have thought a simple set of instructions on this would suffice. Talk about over reacting!

Next thing to come out will be you cannot go offshore at all, unless your shoulder measurement has been recorded in Vantage.

They could have simply phased this in via the 2 yearly medical – job done!

[Roy Simson]

I am sure at some stage they will bring some extra cert or examination all at a extra cost to offshore personnel . Sounds like one more item that we will need to have in the years to come all at more extra cost .

At the moment I think I have HUET / FOET , H2S Cert , HV Cert , Free Fall life Boat Cert ,MIST , Escape Chute OLF , OGUK Medical and CA-EBS These are just your basic certs and your client may want lots of others

I hate to think how much money is generated from these above courses , I am all for safety but I still think that many could be put together in a package like HUET / FOET + MIST or FOET + CA-EBS since the CA-EBS is only a 1.5 hours long .

However at the end of the day its what the client requires

[liddelljohn]

The proliferation of different muliple repeating certs and medicals worldwide has become a big money making scam

[Author]

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